Grace Your Front Room With A Comfortable And Stylish Eames Chair
In production since the 1950s, the Eames Lounger and Ottoman is a comfortable and stylish furniture piece. The Eames chair is still in high demand today, with modern reproductions of the chair coming at a much more affordable cost for the customer.
What is an Eames chair?
Correctly titled the Eames Lounge (671) and Ottoman (672), the Eames chair was one of the leading chair designs of the 20th Century, combining modern architecture with classic design.
After years of development it was introduced in 1956 by two American designers, Charles and Ray Eames.
Although the Eames chair is an attractive piece, the designers' key aim was to make a chair that was as comfortable as possible by making it 'resemble the warmth, familiarity and comfort of a well worn baseball mitt.' (Charles Eames.)
The chair's design
The Eames chair is made from rich wooden veneers (it is worth noting that the veneer grain will differ in each chair), rubber or metal shock mounts, and thick cushions that are upholstered in soft Italian leather. The usage of these various materials make a chair that is both comfortable and stylish. The chair pivots and is at a permanently reclined angle, which helps to distribute body weight towards the rear of the chair.
Differences between the original chairs and the modern reproductions
Although the modern reproductions are near replicas of the original Eames chairs, there are some minor differences in detail:
Veneers: modern reproductions of Eames chairs glue a higher quantity of thinner layers of wood veneer, shaped by heat and pressure. Original Eames chairs used fewer layers of veneer made from Brazilian rosewood and plywood.
Rubber spacers: a reproduced Eames chair will use a range of materials for the spacers such as metal, plastic or rubber, whereas the original chairs used rubber spacers only.
Cushion zips: Modern Eames chairs have black zips only, whilst originals had zips that were brown or black.
The dimensions of the Eames chair and ottoman
Eames Chair Dimensions (H x W x D): 840mm x 850mm x 840mm
Ottoman Dimensions (H x W x D): 450mm x 550mm x 650mm
Television appearances of the Eames chair
The most notable appearances are listed below:
1. The chair has been installed by The New York Museum of Modern Art in the museum's permanent collection.
2. The Art Institute of Chicago has displayed the chair for many decades.
3. It made its debut television appearance on the Arlene Francis 'Home' show aired on the NBC network in 1956.
4. The American sitcom 'Frazier' used the chair in Frazier's apartment.
5. Most recently however the chair was used as part of a home makeover in the hit show '60 Minute Makeover.'
Gallery installations
Along with the part it's played in television, the Eames chair has also been placed in some art galleries in the USA:
How much does an Eames chair cost?
Although Eames chair originals are expensive (generally costing in excess of ?5000) reproduction units are available at around a quarter of the cost. Although modern Eames chairs are cheaper, they match the original Eames chairs in regards to style and build quality.
Where is the best place to put an Eames chair?
Eames chairs are well suited to any front room, library or study area. If you want a chair in your home that incorporates maximum comfort with striking style, then an Eames chair would be the perfect choice for you.
The author works closely with Icon Inspired, a company who supplies a wide range of Eames reproduction furniture. Reproductions of the Eames chairs keep close to the originals in regards to design, materials and build quality. Visit their website to view Eames chair reproductions.
